Essentials For A Long Biking Trip

There’s nothing like a long bike trip, by the coast or through the mountains, bikers will know. Recently, my friend, a biking newbie going on his first road trip asked me about essentials for a long biking trip. Beyond the immediate happy memories, I recalled some bad experiences on trips due to my poor packing and planning skills. For instance, on my very first trip (Mumbai-Goa) I forgot about an bike engine oil refuel and was left stranded. Let’s just say, I’m fortunate to be here (thanks to the biking brotherhood). Read on for my road trip checklist!

1. Tool Kit & Engine Oil

Bikes break down. It’s a part of the experience. All bikers must have a bit of know-how on managing temporary fixes for their bikes. I always carry an extra bit of engine oil too. On long road trips I look for sustained acceleration, for which I use Castrol’s POWER1 products. A basic tool kit complete with basic knowledge will serve you well!

2. Second Pair of Gloves

One of my negative memories from my first road trip, other than the engine overheating and failing, were wet gloves. It was awful to say the least. I remember being all excited to take on the road only to be welcomed with semi-wet gloves. In case you don’t know the feeling, imagine wearing wet socks. Don’t dampen the experience of a lifetime!

3. Cash

Always keep extra physical cash in hand. On trips you’re going to go to places you don’t know, and emergencies are a serious possibility. Also, split the money, keep it separately. A safer option in case of loss or theft.

4. Detachable Headlamp

On a recent road trip in the South (Pondicherry to Kanyakumari), I had an engine issue in the middle of literally nowhere around 100km from my destination. It was already getting dark at around 6:30. Fortunately I had a headlamp for situations like these.

5. Emergency Communicator

On solo road trips one must always, always carry a communicator of this sort. An accident in a remote area, out of range is always a possibility. Take a quality device that can determine your location anywhere and send SOS messages. Safe riding!